Creative Leadership

Leadership in tertiary creative arts is not an easy task. The environment is in a constant state of flux. Leaders need to meet evolving government and institutional policy direction, secure sustainability within shifting, and often difficult, funding environments and meet the technical and curriculum expectations of ever changing cohorts of students. In times of stress, the arts leadership represents the frontline for any dissatisfaction from staff, students, institutions and governments. As the saying goes: ‘It's a tough job but someone has to do it’.

In this edition of NiTRO, we consider what it takes to be a leader in creative arts. How can the complexity of leadership be approached? And how can we address the challenges that lie ahead?

Editorial

As science and technology appears to be achieving greater primacy, at least in government rhetoric and funding allocations, the role of public reporting and demystification of the contribution that creative arts brings to national productivity and societal cohesion remains an ongoing leadership task.

It feels like we have been explaining our case for decades, perhaps longer. It is exhausting ! However, what can we do but to continue to advocate, to be a voice among many, giving form to the changing conditions of both Higher Education and the creative arts themselves?

Like most musicians, the creation of music has simply entranced me from an early age. I loved discovering out how instruments worked, how they could be played for my own pleasure and with others, how manuscript (or the lack of it) enabled me to understand composers’ ideas, and how music could make an impact on everyone around.

Professor Ian Howard has spent over 20 years in leadership positions in Australian university art colleges, and is regarded by many as one of our most successful creative arts leaders. Now having returned to the ‘grass roots’, NiTRO invited Ian to share some of his thoughts and experiences on leadership in creative arts.

Working in the area of learning and teaching in Higher Education for a combined total of 35 years we have consistently questioned ourselves, while at the same time being questioned, about what the expert leader in learning and teaching for the Creative Arts looks like.

We are often told that these times are hard times for the arts in Australia, and that may just be the case. But for those of us in arts leadership, there is much to be championed and everything to be proud of. The way forward must come in many forms and from many angles, and although there is no perfectly paved yellow brick road, direction will most certainly need to come from leaders in the tertiary sector.

At the end of 2016, Kate Cherry moved from a successful nine-year role as Artistic Director and joint CEO of Black Swan Theatre to take up the role of Director and CEO of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). In a Q & A conversation with NiTRO Editor Jenny Wilson, Kate shares her perspectives on the move from professional arts to tertiary arts leadership

The world is in an interesting place just now. The nature of “truth” itself seems to be under threat. Now, more than ever, is the time for Universities to show leadership and to exercise their civilising influence. The Arts need to be at the centre of this. We need recognise the critical role our artists must play and to encourage them as much as we can. This encouragement will require us, in the university sector, to provide the appropriate funding and support and to be creative in the way we do this.